Little Rabbit of Wonderland
by Royazali
Summary: Dreaming. Such an innocent thing. Until it begins to affect those of another world. One by one they enter this Wonderland, never to come out again... Based off of 'Alice Human Sacrifice' but with the C's from 'Jareth'.
1. Chapter 1: The Dream Begins

**Hello! Sorry for not updating my main fic/fics but I got this random idea and I thought it was really cool so…here it is! 'Based' off of Vocoloid's Alice Human Sacrifice only with the C's from the Jareth universe plus Crystal!  
****As a basic rule I don't own anything except the characters, basically, so yeah…  
****Hope ya Enjoy!**

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Crystal Version stormed down the hall of her Academy pissed. She and her 'partner' had just returned from one of their daily assignments and, as usual, it didn't go too well…

_Stupid, poke ball sucking, know it all, fart knocking, annoying Ancient! _She kicked a door open angrily, earning her the attention of everyone in the hall. She ignored them and entered her room, slamming the door behind her.

Crystal turned her computer on, located her mp3 file section, and blared her speakers on the loudest song she could find. Once she had established no one could hear her over it, she exploded.

"Arg! I swear I'm gunna _kill_ him! If he _ever_ does that again I'll barbecue his ass! Wait…" She paused. "I don't like barbecue… I know! I'll roast him!" She laughed evilly, perfectly in tune with the current song.

Once she had calmed down, Crystal turned the volume down slightly and sat at her computer. She checked her email (empty), log status (bored), and finally her assignments. She glared at the screen.

"Why do finals have to be _this_ week?" she groaned. _Sometimes I wish I could just teleport away and forget it all… _She shook her head, knowing she couldn't do that.

Regrettably she turned the computer off and plopped down on her bed, totally bored. She hugged her pillow closer, exhausted from the morning's assignment.

_If only…there was a place I could go… _she thought, _Somewhere far away… _She shook her head once more and rolled over. "Let someone else go…"

As Crystal begun to fall asleep she started to have a strange dream. It started innocent at first then quickly grew more sinister. The dream was of another world, a Wonderland, where people would go to escape the harshness of reality.

But one can never truly escape from reality, can they?

Meanwhile

-The Return of the Menawhile-

"_Let someone else go…"_

These words repeated in Royazali's head over and over. He had been dreaming when he had first heard them and now awake, they wouldn't go away.

"Royazali, are you alright?" asked Sheno worriedly.

He nodded, still thinking of those words. _What could they mean? Sounds so familiar… Where have I heard that voice before?_

"Jareth!" called Melanie. "Roy's thinking again!"

"Poke him in the face…" he answered from the living room.

"You got it!" she exclaimed happily. But before she could poke him, he stood up and left. "Roy…?"

Something was wrong. He could feel it. A strange power…and a voice.

_What could it mean?_

Ignoring the calls from his friends, he entered the woods where the voice seemed to be coming from. As he traveled further in, the voice kept getting louder. Upon entering a clearing he stopped.

Standing on the far side of the clearing was a girl. She had long silver hair with matching ears and tail. When she turned to face him she smiled.

"Hello, little rabbit… Have you perhaps lost your way?"

_Rabbit? _He looked at the girl confused. "Who are you? Are you the one calling me?"

The cat laughed. "Cant exactly do that if you don't have a phone."

"A what?"

"As to who I am, you already know." She smiled once again. "Now…lets get on with this tale, shall we?"

_What's going on? Who is that girl? What's she talking about? _He shook his head in frustration. "What do you want?"

"I've been thinking," she said, as she moved closer, "that this world is not yet complete. There are still many things missing from it…"

Roy took a step back. "Like what?"

"Oh… Many things," she said with a cat like grin. "And without them, the dream will vanish…and so will I. And I cant have that happen now, can I?"

"I suppose not…" _What is this? What is she doing?_

As the cat demon continued to draw closer the sky began to turn black. The once beautiful trees withered, their leaves gone, and the earth became hard and rocky…

Seeing this girl as a threat, he drew his lance. "Don't move! Who are you?-! What are you doing here?-!"

She stopped and looked at him with a hurt expression on her face. "What a thing to say! I bring you here, out of the kindness of my heart," here she grinned slightly, "and you don't seem to care…"

He looked around at the eerie scenery. "Where exactly is 'here'?" he asked.

"Why…little rabbit, you are home, here in Wonderland!" She smiled lovingly at her surroundings as if there were no place better.

"Wonderland?" he repeated confused. _I thought I was in Cordite? _"What is that? And why do you keep calling me 'little rabbit'?"

"Because every Wonderland needs a rabbit," she said. "And you, Royazali, are mine."

"Huh?"

Before he could react, a mighty wind blew about them. The cat girl disappeared only to be replaced by darkness.

"What's going on?-! Where'd you go?-!" By this point he was starting to panic. _What is this?-! I don't understand. Jareth-_

"Relax…" said a soothing voice from the darkness. "Set your mind free… Lose your worry and let go of everything… Accept your fate…"

"My…fate…?"

"Yes…" As the voice continued to talk, he begun to lose consciousness. "You shall remain here, in Wonderland, as my little rabbit…forever."

"Forever…"

He closed his eyes and succumbed to the demon's spell.

Wonderland now had its little rabbit, but what is Wonderland without its Alice…?

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**And that's chap one. I hope you enjoyed it! There's still a lot more to go and I'm sure you're a little confused but it all works out! Now…time to get some sleep…  
****Hope at see ya next time!**

**Till next Chap!**


	2. Chapter 2: The Spade

**It wasn't until recently that I learned how short chap one was. I apologize, the object you seek fell from the helicopter as we were running from y- Ahem! Anyways! This is where the Real story begins… -cue evil laughter-**

**Enjoy!**

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Sheno Kagurazaka had watched Roy leave earlier that day. As the door closed behind him an uneasiness began to come over her. She drifted through the house trying to busy herself to get her mind off of the sinking feeling in her gut that threatened to consume her.

"Relax, will ya? You're making _me_ uneasy…" Jareth stretched out on the couch lazily. "He'll be fine…"

"I hope so…" She looked out the window worriedly. _Royazali was definitely acting strange this morning. I hope its nothing serious…_

"By the way… Where'd Melanie go?" asked Jareth.

"She left a few minutes ago. Said she was bored."

"Don't blame her there…" he muttered. Jareth sat up and joined Sheno by the window. "Look, Roy and Mel probably planned some 'secret' meeting and didn't want to invite us. Its no big deal."

"Jareth!"

"What?" He shrugged innocently. "Regardless of what _they're_ doing… What are _we_ doing?" He grinned slightly as he embraced her. "Me. You. Empty house. No one to bother us…"

She blushed. But even Jareth's words could not stave the bad feeling she felt. She moved away from him, heading for the door.

"Where're you going?" he asked.

"I'll be back in a minute…"

_More like an hour… _Jareth sighed. "Alright, but you had your chance…"

She grinned. Before closing the door she said, "I can have my 'chance' anytime I want."

Sheno left the house looking for Roy.

_Now I know he left this morning… But where did he go?_

Going with her intuition, she followed the small path leading into the woods. She walked along the well worn path looking for any signs of her friend. Eventually she came upon a small clearing.

Sitting in the center, on a worn stump, was the cat girl from before. She waved at Sheno, a smile on her face.

_Who is this girl? Do I-_

Before Sheno could speak, the girl sat up and said, "You wouldn't happen to be looking for a little lost rabbit, would you?"

_Rabbit? _She shook her head. "No…"

The cat sighed. "Too bad… And here I thought you were the one…"

"The one?"

"The one looking for the rabbit."

"No, I'm looking for my friend. Have you seen him? His name is Royazali and-"

The girl's tail gave a twitch. "Royazali?"

"Yes." Sheno nodded. "Have you seen him?"

Slowly the cat began to grin. "He passed by this way a short while ago…"

"Really?-!"

"Heh… Poor thing was as lost as can be. But…he's home now…"

Something about the way she said that didn't sit right with Sheno. She gave her a suspicious look saying, "What do you mean? Where is Royazali?"

"Does Alice wish to know where the little rabbit has gone?"

"What?" _Alice?_

The girl laughed. "No need to sound alarmed. He's safe where he belongs in Wonderland."

_Wonderland? _"What have you done with Royazali?-!" she yelled angrily. She unsheathed the dagger at her waist and assumed a fighting stance. "Answer me!"

"If you wish to know…then I shall show…" The cat demon turned and fled deeper into the wood.

"Get back here!"

Sheno took off, following the demon deeper and deeper into the woods. As she chased after the cat, the forest began to change. Gone was the luscious green trees. Withered trunks now took their place, growing tall towards a darkened sky. The soil became uneven and hard to traverse.

Sheno stared ahead, eyes focused on her target. She was just about to attack when her foot caught on a wandering root and she tripped. She scrambled to her feet but it was too late. The demon was already gone, her laughter reverberating on the stale breeze.

It was then that Sheno finally noticed her surroundings.

"Where am I?" She stared in awe at the bleak landscape. Suddenly her bad feeling returned. "What is this place?" _Could this be…Wonderland…? _She looked around. "It certainly is a wonder…"

Following the only path available to her, Sheno continued to explore the woods. It was a lifeless place with no living thing in sight.

"This place is horrible…" She shuddered. _I hope Royazali is alright… I cant imagine that demon getting a hold of him but hen again… He's very trusting… All she would have to do is play the 'innocent card' and she'd have him… _Sheno sighed. "Where are you..."

Sheno followed the path until she could go no further. The path ended at a cross roads with each passage blocked by thick thorn bushes. Using her dagger, she cut a path straight ahead, hoping it was the direction the demon had taken.

The bramble of thorns were thick and by the time she had cut a path, she was covered in several cuts. Flecks of blood dripped from her wounds, landing on the dirt floor creating a bloody trail…

As soon as she had cut her way through she was surprised to find someone waiting for her. Two men, dressed in identical outfits, blocked her way. They didn't seem dangerous but neither did that cat girl. Sheno approached them cautiously.

"Hello…"

They stared ahead, unmoving.

_Well this is odd. _"Did a cat girl go this way?"

Still no reaction.

Sheno frowned. _Very well then… _She tried to walk past them but they only blocked her way. "Move!"

They shook their heads. "We cannot."

_So they Can speak… _"And why not?"

"This part of the wood is off limits," they said. "You cannot pass."

"But I have to find my friend! Did he go this way?"

No answer.

"Answer me!" she yelled, getting frustrated.

"The only one permitted to enter is the rabbit," said one.

"The little rabbit of Wonderland," said the other.

_Rabbit… Hold on. That girl called Royazali 'little rabbit' so does that mean…? _She stared at the guards determinedly. "Move out of my way."

"We cannot."

"Then I'll have to make you!" Dagger in hand, she went to strike the men. They dodged simultaneously and drew daggers of their own. "So it's a fight, huh? Be my guest!"

She dodged their first attacks and followed up with one of her own. She faked an attack to her first opponent and delivered the death blow to the unsuspecting second. The remaining guard was defeated shortly afterward.

Sheno stepped over their corpses, continuing down the path deeper in the woods. Along the way she met with more opposition. Each one meeting the same bloody fate as the first guards.

"Royazali! Royazali, where are you?-! Answer me!" She paused as she entered yet another clearing. "_Royazali!_"

_Where could he be? _She looked around, fear creeping into her once again. _Where am I? How do I get back?_

"_You had your chance…"_

"Jareth…" She slipped to her knees. "Jareth…I need you…"

"The first Alice went walking through the woods of Wonderland…"

Sheno looked up. _Huh?_

"Bravely, with a dagger clutched in her fevered hand…"

She stood up quickly, dagger raised. "Who's there?-! Show yourself!"

"She cut down creatures in the way of her unyielding wrath…"

_I know that voice! Its that demon!_

"Leaving carnage in her wake by a red and bloody path…"

"I said show yourself!"

There was a rustle of leaves to her right. She raised her dagger, ready to strike, but it was not the cat demon who appeared.

Sheno gasped. "R-Royazali?-! Royazali, you're alright!"

Sheno was expecting him to reassure her. To tell her that he was fine. But he didn't. He simply stared ahead, as if in a daze.

"Royazali? Are you alright? What's wrong?" She walked toward him slowly. "Royazali…say something…"

"Sheno…"

"Yes? What is it?" _Something's wrong. I've never seen him like this. Its almost as if he's- _She gasped and stepped back as Roy drew his lance on her. "Royazali, snap out of it!"

The cat girl laughed as she materialized behind him. "Hello, there, Alice…" she said, referring to Sheno. "Found your little rabbit didn't you? But don't you know…Nothing good ever came of Alice finding the rabbit…heh heh." She shook her head sadly. "Nothing good at all…"

"What have you done to Royazali?-!" she demanded.

"Must you yell in that accusing tone? Never matter…" She gave Roy an appraising look. "He didn't turn out half bad, if I do say so myself."

"What?"

"I needed someone strong; someone I could rely on," explained the girl. "And after a few 'modifications' he was ready. Sure, the other guy was a good candidate," she continued, "but Roy just seemed so…perfect."

"Other candidate…?" She gasped. _Jareth! I have to warn him; to get help!_

The demon smiled knowingly. "I don't think so." She snapped her fingers and Roy acted.

He kneeled down, his palm on the ground. "Spirits of the earthen womb, rise aground and form her tomb."

"Royazali, no!"

Sheno moved to stop him but was too late. Several vines burst from the ground completely surrounding Sheno. They grew high, forming a cage to trap her.

"Let me out of here!" she yelled. "Let Royazali go! Stop this!"

Once again, the cat girl laughed. "But the story has only begun! It would be unfair to stop it now…"

"This isn't a game! Now release me!" She turned to Roy desperately. "Royazali, snap out of it! Don't let her get to you!"

"Its no use. He only does what I tell him to." She turned to him, "Isn't that right?"

"Royazali, no…"

The demon turned to Sheno, finally being serious for once. "This is my world now. The dream has only just begun and there are still many Alices to come. And when they finally do show," she grinned, "my little rabbit and I will be there to greet them. For Wonderland should be shared with everyone, don't you think?"

She turned from her and started walking away, followed by Roy. As she disappeared into the woods, Sheno could hear her singing:

"The first Alice strayed too far and too deep in the wood. It marked her as a sinner and locked her in there for good. Much like the gruesome path that marked her murdering way, her life remained a mystery until this very day…"

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**And thus the story finally begins… heh heh heh…**

**Till next Chap!**


	3. Chapter 3: The Diamond

**Sheno's down so now Jareth is up to bat! Lol This chapter was…difficult. You'll understand why when you read it.

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Jareth Blake frowned in annoyance. It had been three hours since Sheno had left and still she had not returned.

"I expected this kind of thing from Melanie but Sheno?" _She's never later… _He looked at the clock, worry slowly creeping into him. He shrugged it off. "Ah… She'll be back later…"

Two Hours Later

"Okay… Maybe she _wont_ be back later…"

Regrettably he got up from his comfy spot on the couch and headed for the door.

"Its bad enough that its boring as hell around here, now I have to go track down their butts…" He shook his head and sighed. _Couldn't have gone far…_

Jareth followed the same trail through the woods that Sheno had taken. It took him a bit longer to arrive at the clearing linking his world to that of Wonderland. When he arrived, the clearing was empty.

"Huh… I could have sworn she came this way…" He folded his arms in thought. _Something's not right… If she were going to take off she would have told me first. And if Sheno's missing then Roy's probably missing too. And That's a problem…_

He walked over and sat on the lone stump in the clearing. _Who could have the power to take down Roy? And what for? _Jareth grinned in excitement, "Maybe another whack job has come to town! Then we can team up and beat him just like the good ole days!" _At least then my life wouldn't be so boring… But we need to be together to fight the bad guy… _He sighed in frustration. "Where the hell are they?-!"

As if to answer his question, Roy appeared in the middle of the clearing. He fell to his knees breathing heavily.

"Roy!" Jareth jumped off the stump and ran to him. "Roy, you alright? Say something!" _What the hell happened? He looks terrible…_

Roy looked up at him, a pained expression on his face. "Jareth…I-"

"What is it? Where's Sheno?"

He shook his head. "I-I don't have much…time… I-" He closed his eyes, trying to block out the voice in his head. "She's coming after you next."

"She? Who?" Jareth grabbed him by the shoulders. "Who is coming? Where is Sheno?-!"

Roy shook himself free of Jareth's grip and started to back away. "No… Stop it! I wont-"

Jareth looked at his friend confused. _The hell is going on? _"Roy, what's wr-"

"Shut up! Just…get out of here!" he yelled. "I cant-" He fell to one knee as the voice threatened to consume him. _No…go away! I wont let you hurt Jareth. Not him too…_

_Then I'll make You do it… _laughed the voice.

Jareth approached him slowly. "Roy…"

"Stay back!"

Jareth could tell something was wrong. He had never seen Roy act like this before. He took a step back, unsure of what was going on. "Roy…?"

Royazali stood up, lance in hand. "Jareth…you have to…run. I cant…fight her for…much longer…"

"Fight who? Roy! Who's doing this to you?-!" he demanded. "Tell me!"

"The-The girl from Batical…"

"Which girl?-!" _There are Tons of girls in Batical! Which one does he mean?-! _"Be more specific!"

"I'm sorry…I couldn't save Sheno…" Roy looked at him sadly. "Tell Melanie I-"

"Just shut up and tell me who's doing this to you!" yelled Jareth angrily.

"Its-"

He disappeared. Jareth stared at the empty clearing wondering what had happened.

"Roy…? Roy! _Royazali!_" _Dammit, where'd he go?-! _He looked around frantically. "What the hell is going on?-!"

"Tee hee"

"Wha?"

He turned around quickly. Sitting on the stump was a girl. The same girl who had appeared before Roy and Sheno that same day. She smiled and waved.

"Hey-ya!"

Jareth stared back confused. _Who is this chic? Is she the one Roy was talking about? _He looked more closely. _Weird… Where have I seen her from?_

"You're mean, you know that? You nearly broke my new toy…" she pouted playfully and jumped off the stump.

"Toy?"

"Royazali," she said simply. "He was functioning perfectly until I told him to come get you. Then he starts acting all weird and finally Poof! Disappears altogether!" She laughed. "Don't worry though, I have it _aaaalll_ under control now."

"So you're the one controlling him! Let him go, now!"

She shrugged, "Nah… Don't feel like it…"

"Why you-"

"Besides," she grinned, "If I let him go now, he'd tell you my secret. And that wouldn't be any fun at all, now would it?"

"I'll show you something _'fun'_," he said darkly. "Now tell me where he is!"

"Do you _really_ want to know?" she asked slyly.

"Dammit! Quit messing with me and tell me where he is!"

"Heh… The rabbit has once again returned to Wonderland…"

_Wonderland?_

"Will Alice follow? Or perhaps…you already have?"

"Shut up!"

He fired an energy blast at her but she simply disappeared, laughing as he went.

"Get back here, dammit!"

He took off after her, following the laughter through the woods. Once again, the forest turned dark as he continued deeper and deeper. Things that were beautiful were now twisted and warped. The flowers now held no color and everything seemed dead and rotten.

Jareth paused as the voice faded and took in his surroundings.

"What is this place…?" He looked up at the darkened sky in awe. "Its like a different world…" _Could this be Wonderland? It has to be… So then, where is Roy?_

Jareth continued down the path cautiously. Eventually he came to a cross roads. The paths left and right were blocked by thick brambles while the path leading straight ahead was clear. A bright red trail marked its beginning…

"I don't know what that is but it doesn't look friendly… Best avoid it…"

Jareth turned instead to the path to his left. Using his power he made a path easily. After awhile he got tired…

He wiped the sweat from his brow and looked around. "Damn… This energy thing is wiping me out…" _Ugh… I'd give for a nice drink right about now…_

Further along, the path was opened up to a wide glade covered in blue flowers. In the center of the flowers was a long table. Two people, one in a hat and the other a hare, danced around it singing joyously.

Jareth groaned. _First that weird girl now I have to deal with two crazies… My day just keeps getting better and better…_

As Jareth got closer the two people spotted him, stopping their song.

"Um…hey…"

They stared at him.

_Okay… Awkward… _"Uh…sorry to interrupt and all but-"

"Do you like tea?"

"Wha? I guess…?" _Why?_

"Then you simply _must_ dine with us!"

"Yes!"

"Wait, what?"

Jareth could do nothing as the two pushed him to the table and sat him down. They put a cup in front of him and filled it to the top.

Jareth picked it up awkwardly. "Um…thanks…"

"Oh, twas a simple matter really!" said the Hatter, sitting down."

"Simple indeed," agreed the Hare, following his example.

They both downed their cups in a single shot.

Jareth eyed his suspiciously. _It looks normal enough although the company is far from it… _"Hey-"

"Drink first. Talk later."

He frowned and looked at his cup. _The things I do for answers… _Jareth drank it and set his empty cup on the table. "Now will you-"

"Clean cup! Clean cup!"

"Move down! Move down!"

"Ack!"

Jareth had no choice but to stand up and move down as the two picked him up and forced him down a seat. They poured another cup and sat down.

"You were saying?"

Jareth glared at them. "Do you know where Roy is? He's about this tall and has pointy ears…"

"Pointy ears?-!" the two looked at each other. "Are you mad?"

_No but You are…_

"You mustn't speak of such things or _she_ will hear you…" whispered the Hare.

"She?"

"Clean cup! Clean cup! Move down!"

Jareth quickly sat up and took another seat before they could shove him again. He stared at the pair determinedly. "Are you talking about the cat chic? Where is she?-!"

"Cats?-!"

Jareth was stunned into silence as a fourth person joined their group. A small mouse emerged from the teapot looking frantic.

"Cats?-! Where's the cats?-!"

Jareth backed away from the table quickly as the Hare and Hatter sprang into action.

"Get the Jam!"

"Put it on his nose!"

Once the chaos had settled down, Jareth returned to the table.

_What the hell is going on? Nothing in this place makes sense… _"Listen, I'm going to-"

"Clean cup! Clean cup!"

Jareth rolled his eyes and moved down a seat. "Like I was _saying!_" He eyed them, all business. "Do you know where Roy is? Or where that girl stays?"

They looked at each other.

"If you really want to know…then have a cup of tea!"

"I don't want a damn cup of tea!" he yelled. "Now tell me what I want to know or I'm leaving!" He sat up.

"Oh, but you cant leave!" exclaimed the Hatter. "No one can leave."

"And why not?" he asked annoyed.

"Tis madness!" exclaimed the Hare. "Simply madness!"

"Madness? The only thing 'mad' here is _you_! Now why don't you make like everyone else here and disappear? I'm sure no one would miss you."

The Hare eyed him sadly, "You shouldn't say mad things like that. She'll hear you…"

"Indeed," said the Hatter while taking a sip of tea. "Truly mad things will bring about truly mad things…"

Before Jareth could ask what he meant they disappeared. The table and chairs were gone leaving nothing but the blue roses…

"Where'd you…go?" He looked around. "Hello? Weird guys! Where'd you go?-!" _Just great! My only lead in this world and it ups and disappears… Still…what did he mean? 'Mad things will bring about mad things'?_

He sighed. "When I asked for a crazy whack job I didn't mean those two… At least Lavos and Selena had more style… I just hope Roy is okay…" _And what about Sheno? Is she alright? _"They have to be around here somewhere…"

He was about to continue when a voice stopped him in his tracks. He turned around slowly, not believing what he had heard.

"No…it cant be… You're dead…"

Selena stood opposite him, a gun held in her raised hand.

"But…how?" he gasped.

"Truly mad things will bring about truly mad things…" said the cat girl as she appeared by Selena's side. "You wished for a more 'stylish' ending? Well here it is."

Jareth's eyes widened as Selena pulled the trigger. Jareth fell back as the bullet tore through his body, fatally wounding him. He landed in the bed of roses and stared at the bleak sky, unable to grasp what had happened.

"W-Why…?"

The cat demon grinned and stood over him. "This Alice was as fragile as the flowers all around…"

_Alice…? _Jareth coughed blood as his vision faded. _What's she-_

"A madman came to him one day and shot him to the ground…"

"S-Selena…" Jareth tried to focus on her but she was no where to be seen. "What did you do with-"

"Oh that?" the girl smiled. "Just an illusion. Given your background I thought it made a perfect plot twist, hee hee! Besides…" She leaned in closer so he could her hear. "I only kill for a profit."

Jareth gasped, realization finally dawning on him.

"_I only kill for a profit."_

He had heard those same words two years ago. In Batical. He tried to focus on the cat girl who turned to walk away.

_That girl… She was…in that play… Her name…it was…_

"His blood stained the roses to a bright and somber red…and all who shunned him loved the roses soiled from what was dead…"

Jareth closed his eyes for the last time and breathed one word:

"Crystal"**

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**I cant believe I just did that. But its only going to get worse… 'sniff'**

**Till next Chap!**


	4. Chapter 4: The Club

**After our horrible chap of doom, I give you…Another one! Yay! Up next is Mel.**

**Enjoy!

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Melanie Blake woke up suddenly and looked around. She had left earlier that day and had found a nice spot to relax. After falling asleep she had been startled awake by a nightmare.

She shook her head. "What Iwas that? Jareth…and…a girl?" She shrugged it off. "Hmph, he's _always_ with a girl. I'm surprised Sheno hasn't dumped him yet…"

Mel stood up and stretched, heading back home. "Might as well use this little dream against him. Its always fun to mess with people." _Besides, I'm hungry…_

Even though she shrugged it off as nothing, Melanie still felt uneasy after the dream. Her uneasiness grew when she found the house empty.

"Okay…weird… Yo, guys! Where are ya?" She went through the house calling their names getting no reply. "Alright, I give. Come on out!"

Still no answer.

"Huh…" She thought a minute. "Hey Jareth, I brought one of my really hot friends here who just happens to be single. Wanna introduce yourself?"

Still nothing.

"Damn… I guess they really aren't home…" She scratched her head confused. "But where'd they go?" _Maybe they went after Roy? I think I saw him heading for the woods earlier…_

So, following the same trail the others took before her, Melanie entered the woods. After a while she came upon the same clearing as well.

She looked around. "This place…it was in my dream. And if I go that way," she pointed deeper into the forest, "then I'll find Wonderland…"

"My aren't you smart?"

Mel looked up to see the cat girl. She jumped out of a nearby tree and landed on the ground perfectly.

"You! You're that girl! Crystal!"

She smiled as she said her name, "That's me."

"Where's my brother?-!" she demanded.

Crystal grinned. "What's this? An Alice who is not looking for the little rabbit? You _are_ an odd one, aren't you?"

"Shut up! And my name's not Alice! Its Melanie!"

"Yes, I believe you have what it takes…"

"Huh?" She looked at her confused. _What's this cat blabbering about?_

"Tell me… What is it you care about more: The little rabbit or the fallen Alice?" she asked.

"What the _hell_ are you talking about?-!"

Crystal sighed, "Perhaps you're _not_ smart…"

"What do you want?-!" she asked angrily.

"What any good creator wants. For the story to continue," she said simply. "And what's a story without a main character to drive the plot along? That's why…I require your services…"

"Like hell!" Melanie pulled out one of her guns and pointed it at her. "Now tell me what I wanna know or do you want a hole between the eyes?"

Crystal laughed. "I think you know what happens next…"

"Oh no you don't!" Just as Melanie pulled the trigger, she disappeared. "Dammit! Come back here!"

Melanie took off through the woods. She left behind the bright cheerful world she knew and entered the dark bleak one from her dream. It was when she arrived at the cross roads she stopped.

"This place gives me the creeps…" She shuddered and looked at the paths before her.

One was marked by a bloody trail, the other lined in blue roses… While the final path was covered in thick thorns.

_I don't know why but those two paths give me a bad feeling… _

Mind made up, she turned to the path to her right. By the time she made it through the thick thorns she was covered in cuts. She pouted as she examined herself.

"Ugh…My clothes are ruined!" She poked one of the cuts. "Damn that stings…ow…" She glared at the thorns. "Stupid killer plant things! I _hate_ plants!"

"Ooohhh… What an _awful_ thing to say…"

"Who was that?-!" Melanie looked around but found no one. _I think I'm hearing things…_

She continued down the path nervously. She could hear whispering but when she looked for a source all she found were the tall plants growing on either side of the path. She stopped dead when she saw one move.

"Okay… Now I'm _seeing_ things…" _Maybe there was some kind of toxin in those thorns? _She examined herself once more.

"I say, what _is_ she doing?"

_That's it! _Melanie took out both guns and assumed a defensive stance. "Come on out! I know you're there! Stop hiding!"

There were some more whispering and then three of the plants started to move closer.

Mel's eyes went wide. "What the…"

The three plants drew closer, revealing themselves for what they were: A Lilly, a Daisy, and a Rose.

Melanie went into brain lock. _Flowers… Talking Flowers… What the Hell…_

"Good evening, dear," said the Rose.

She was too stunned to reply. _First the Cat Girl… Now I'm talking to flowers… What next? A singing caterpillar?_

The Daisy leaned in closer, "You look horrible…and no petals? You poor thing!"

_Petals?_

"By the looks of her, I'd say she's just a common weed," remarked the Lilly snottily.

_Weed?-! _"Hey! I'm not a weed, you overgrown windowsill decoration!"

"Oh my… She certainly has the attitude of a weed…"

Mel glared at her. _Where's my pesticide spray?-!_

"Now now…" said the Rose, gaining their attention. "Let us not show our thorns, ladies…" She turned to Mel, "What garden are you from, my dear?"

"Garden? Um…" _Great, now what? I don't want to tick them off cuz I don't want to be fertilizer… So… _"I'm from the Garden of Cordite."

"Cordite?" The flowers looked at each other. "I've never heard of a Corditian Garden…"

"Naturally… Only the rarest and most beautiful flowers grow there," she said cockily.

"Tell us about this Garden of Cordite!" asked the Daisy eagerly.

"Sure thing, but first… Any of you know a cat girl named Crystal?"

"Crystal?"

"Cat girl?"

"Cant say that I have…"

_Well that sucks… Now what?_

"Although… I do recall seeing a stranger in the forest awhile back," commented the Lilly.

"Really?-! Who was it?" she asked.

She folded her leaves, "I cant recall."

"I'll tell you how to get into the Corditian Garden…" she offered.

Lilly smiled, "Very well then! If I remember correctly… He was a very strange flower. No petals… Although his top was a most unique color."

"What was it?"

"Silver," she said. "Very unusual for a flower…"

_Silver? The only one I know with silver hair is- Roy! So he's here too?-! _"Where? Where did you see him? Where was he going?-!"

"I remember seeing that flower!" exclaimed Daisy. "He just uprooted and disappeared! It was the strangest of things…"

_Maybe Roy is looking for Jareth too? In that case we should team up. This place is too dangerous to travel alone…_

"My dear, the Corditian Garden?" asked Rose.

"What Garden? Oh! Right, uh…" Mel thought a minute. _What would Jareth do? Make something up of course! _"Actually, I have to get going…"

"But-"

"I'm a very important flower. Places to be; people to meet. You know how it is. Sorry guys!"

She ran. The flowers tried to follow but Mel was too fast. After awhile of running, she came upon an open field. She bent over to catch her breath.

"Phew… I will _never_ look at flowers the same way again…" She crushed a small bud with her foot. "Stupid plants!" She sighed and stood up. "I guess now the only thing to do is find Roy and-"

"And what?"

Melanie turned around, gun drawn, to face the cat girl, Crystal.

"What would you do?" she asked again, unfazed by the weapon.

"I'd find my brother and get the hell out of here!" she answered.

"Why?"

"What?-!"

"Why waste your time looking for the fallen Alice?" she asked. "Seems like a waste to me…"

"Why you- Where's my brother?-! And Roy? Where is he?"

Crystal grinned. "Royazali is fine. He had a little trouble earlier but we worked it out. As for your brother… Lets just say he wont be joining us any time soon…"

Suddenly Mel's bad feeling came back. Her thoughts went to the dream she had earlier. "He's not…dead, is he…?"

"So you _are_ the smart one!" She clapped her hands happily. "I _knew_ I had made the right choice."

Melanie took a step back. "No… You're-You're lying!"

"You sure of that? Then what's this?" Crystal took out Jareth's headband. It was covered in blood. "Catch."

As the headband flitted to the ground Melanie fell to her knees in shock.

"No…this cant be happening… Jareth…" She picked up his headband slowly and started to cry. "Jareth…"

"Hmph, I don't know why you're so upset. It was fairly quick."

"Shut up!" She got up and quickly fired at her. Crystal simply disappeared and appeared else where. "You killed him!"

"I did no such thing," she said innocently.

"Liar!" She fired again only to miss once more. "Hold still, dammit!"

Melanie kept firing until she ran out of bullets. Even then she kept firing. Overcome by her own powerlessness, she fell to her knees once more, crying in despair.

_He's gone… He's gone… And I cant… _She sniffed back her tears. _Roy. There's still Roy. But where is he…?_

"Does Alice finally wish to seek the little rabbit?" asked the cat.

She stared at the ground, not even caring anymore. "Where's Roy?"

"In a place where you cant go."

Mel looked up. "Huh?"

Crystal looked at Melanie sadly. "You understand that he is destined to surpass you. And you are fated to fade away to darkness… Even while you waste away of old age, he will go on. You will die. And he will live."

She froze, suddenly overcome by fear. "I will…die…" She looked at Jareth's headband clutched in her hand. "I dont…want to die…"

"Then don't."

"What?"

Crystal smiled. "Stay here, in Wonderland. Here you will be forever young and rule on high as queen."

"Queen…?"

She nodded," Queen of Wonderland. Free to do as you choose forevermore…"

Melanie slowly smiled. "And I can be with Roy…"

"Always."

She stood up, letting the headband fall to the ground. "Alright… I…accept…"

Crystal grinned. "Of course you do. No one wants to die. Especially when you have something to live for…"

Crystal watched Melanie continue down the path, a satisfied smile on her face.

"And thus the third Alice became this country's sovereign queen. But she would rule her nation lost within her own distorted dream… All she'll see is rotting flesh inside her vanity. Afraid of death, she shall rule for all eternity…

* * *

**Hey, look! She didn't die! But living forever can sometimes be worse than death. Three Alices down and only one/two to go. What could possibly happen next?**

**Till next Chap!**


	5. Chapter 5: The Heart

**We come to it at last! The Final Alice/es. Be amazed as I intro these two characters in their first Fan fiction debut! Lol**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Stella Reika sighed in boredom, "Are we there yet?"

"I think…"

"What do you mean, 'I think'? It's a yes or no question!"

Isaac Blake gave her an aggravated look. "I said 'I think' because I don't know. I've never been there before."

"Yeah well, I'm tired…"

"You're always tired," he said.

She stuck out her tongue at him. "Meany…"

"Look who's talking."

"Hey!"

Isaac and Stella had been traveling for quite some time. The forest in which they traveled was vast and their destination was but a small clearing. After another hour or so they found it.

"Phew…" Stella let out a tired breath. "Here at last!"

Isaac looked around, "So is this where that energy thing you talked about came from?"

"I think so…" She closed her eyes, feeling the energy around them. "Something was definitely here," she said. "Its feint but I can still sense it."

"Good…" _Perhaps this is the break we've been looking for… _He walked around curiously, "Sense anything else?"

She glared at him, "I'm not a portable radar you know! Do your own detective work!"

"Sorry, jeez…"

She jumped up on the lone stump and sat down, swinging her legs. "So, think we'll find them?"

"Who knows?" he shrugged. "I just hope we can find our way out of this forest when we're done…"

"You worry too much…" she said lightly.

"And you worry too little…" he said seriously.

"Whatever… Listen, I was thinking-"

"Haven't I told you to stop that?"

She ignored him. "What if we don't find them? What then?"

"Then we'll keep looking," he said.

"But I'm sick and tired of looking!" Stella jumped off the stump and faced him. "Sometimes you just have to let these things go, you know?"

"How can you say that?" he asked, "These are our parents we're talking about!"

She sighed. _Isaac is such a worry wart. It drives me nutz! _"Look, Isaac, they disappeared a long time ago which means that they're probably-"

"Don't say it."

"But, Isaac-"

"Don't," he glared at her. "Just because _you_ have given up doesn't mean that I have. I'll find them with or without your help."

Stella was about to talk back when suddenly she felt a huge surge of energy. She froze, almost fearful.

_What is this? This energy? Its so powerful…_

"Stella? Stella, what's wrong?" Isaac ran to her worried, "Stella, snap out of it!"

She blinked, coming out of her daze, and focused on him. "Isaac?"

"What was it? Another energy thing?"

She nodded, "It was _huge!_ Nothing like my powers…"

"What was it? Where did it come from?"

Stella pointed towards the forest, deeper in the wood. As she did so, a lone figure emerged.

Isaac stepped in front of Stella protectively. "Who's there?"

She rolled her eyes and pushed him out of the way. "I can protect myself, stupid!" She conjured a fireball. "Alright, come on out! Unless you _want_ to get fried?"

The figure stepped out of the woods and into the light. He had silver hair and pointy ears, just like Stella…

She gasped, "F-Father?" _Well that explains the huge spike in energy but… Something's not right…_

"Roy?" Isaac smiled. "Uncle Roy, its me! Isaac!" He went to get closer but Stella stopped him.

"Wait. Something's not right… There's some kind of evil aura emanating from him…"

_Evil? _Isaac looked at him. _He doesn't Look evil… Still, Stella has never been wrong, at least about these kinds of things…_

Roy extended his hand and a single card materialized. He grabbed it and threw it towards Isaac.

He caught it and examined the card. "What is this?" he asked curiously.

"The invite."

"Invite?"

"From the Queen. She requests to see you. Both of you."

Isaac and Stella looked at each other confused.

"Who's the Queen?"

"Queen of what?"

Roy sighed slightly, "The Queen of Wonderland, the Alice of the Club."

"What?" Stella looked at her father confused. "I don't understand… Where have you been this whole time?"

He didn't answer. Instead, he turned to leave.

"Wait! What about my dad?" asked Isaac. "Where's my dad? Where's Jareth?"

Roy froze. The evil aura that Stella had felt was slowly disappearing.

"Jareth…?"

"Where is he?" he asked desperately. "And Sheno, where is she?"

"Jareth and…Sheno… They're…"

"They're what?"

"They're…" He shut his eyes tightly and held his head trying to block out the familiar voice. "Not again…"

"Dad? Dad, what's wrong?" Stella ran to him. "Are you okay? Hold on…"

"Get…back…" Roy fell to his knees as he struggled once more.

_What's the matter? _said the voice, _Just do it…_

_I wont! You cant make me! Not this time…_

_Then you leave me no choice…_

"Dad, hang in there…" Stella closed her eyes and focused on a spell to dispel the evil aura. _My magic may not be that powerful but it should be enough…_

Isaac watched her work, deep in thought. _If Roy's alive then… But why wouldn't he answer me? Where are my parents?_

He came out of his thoughts as he felt a presence behind him. He turned around just in time to see the cat girl appear behind him.

"Hello…" She grinned. "Good bye…"

She raised her hand and fired a bolt of electricity at him. The spell was a direct hit making Isaac fell to the ground, unconscious.

Stella felt the spell's energy and turned from Roy to see Isaac fall.

"Isaac!"

She was about to go to him when she was hit by a wind spell from behind. She hit a nearby tree and slipped to the ground, slowly losing consciousness.

She tried to focus on Roy as her vision faded, "Father…why…?"

Crystal smiled, "See ya in the next world…"

Stella closed her eyes and was lost to darkness…

**X**

"Stella… Stella! Open your eyes; wake up!" Isaac held her in his arms trying to gently shake her awake. "Come on… Stay with me…" He sighed in relief as he felt her stir.

"Isaac…?" She stood up slowly and looked around. "What…happened?"

"I don't know…" He got up and stood next to her. "When I came to they were gone."

"But that doesn't make sense… Why attack and then do nothing?"

"I don't know but they left the invitation." He held up the card Roy had left. "What do you think we should do? Follow?"

She nodded, "It's the only thing we _can_ do… Besides, I want to know what that demon did to my father…" _Why would he attack me like that? Didn't he know who I was…?_

"Stella?"

"I'm fine. Lets go."

He nodded and together they headed deeper into the woods. After a bit of traveling they came across the familiar crossroads. A bright red forest path leading deeper into the wood. A path marked by blue roses trailing to the left. The right was bared by think brambles covering the way.

"So…what now?" Stella looked at the paths before them. "Which way should we go?"

"Well…" Isaac thought for a minute. "The left seems the easiest so we shouldn't go that way while the right looks to be the most difficult. Therefore we should take the middle path because it looks the most dangerous."

"That's some logic ya got there…" she said flatly.

"Hey, you asked for my opinion and I gave it. What do _you_ suggest?" he asked.

"Eenie Meenie Minie Mo?" she offered.

He sweat dropped. "Come on…"

So following Isaac's logic, they chose the middle path. The trail was cleared for the most part and was easy to follow due to its unique color. After awhile the woods opened up into a clearing which was empty except for a clump of vines that grew closely together…

Isaac sighed, "Dead end…"

Stella walked over to the odd clump of vines and inspected them curiously. She got down on her knees to inspect something that had caught her eye.

"Stella, what are you doing?"

"Its shiny!" she exclaimed.

"Wha?"

She turned to him, "There's something shiny in there!"

He groaned. _Only Stella… _"Well what is it?" he asked, joining her by the vines.

"I don't know…" She tried to reach it but it was too far. "Hold on…" Using her magic she was able to acquire it easily. "Here."

He took it carefully and examined it. It was a dagger. The blade was slightly rusted but the hilt was in good condition. The 'shiny' Stella had seen came from a small symbol engraved on the hilt. A very familiar symbol…

"What is it, Isaac?"

"This symbol… Its the same as my mom's old clan…" He stared at the dagger trying to figure out what it all meant.

"Aunt Sheno?" She looked around. "But why would she be here?"

"Roy's here. Why wouldn't she be here?" _But why would she leave her dagger behind? Was she attacked? An ambush? Or maybe that cat girl… And then there's- _"Ow!"

Stella laughed as she poked him in the face again. "Relax, will ya? You're going to give yourself a headache!"

"Don't you understand what this means?" he asked seriously. "Something really bad happened here."

"I understand," she said, slightly hurt. "But there's no use in killing yourself over it…"

"Killing…?"

Stella groaned. _Wrong word to use there… _"Look, Aunt Sheno was amazing! There's no way she could have been beaten, right?"

"Uncle Roy could beat her."

They shared a grim silence. If Roy was really being controlled by the cat demon she would have no problem with ordering him to go against Sheno.

"Do you think…?"

Stella remained silent as she inspected the vines once more. "Its true that what drew me to these plants at first was the slight trace of magical energy but… Dad would never do that!" She frowned as she remembered what he had done to her. "He would never…"

"I'm not saying he did," said Isaac, trying to comfort her, "But…who else can use magic?"

"That cat chick."

He sighed. _She's not going to admit it was him. I don't think she can… _"In any case, Uncle Roy's being controlled by that cat chick. We have to save him."

She nodded, "Right… But, Isaac-"

"I know… We might have to fight him in the end. If it comes to that then…" he trailed off, not wanting to finish the sentence.

"I'll do what's necessary," she finished.

He simply nodded. "What do you think happened to her?" he asked, changing the subject.

Stella looked at the dagger sadly. "She would never leave her weapon behind…"

"I know…"

They looked at the bunch of vines closely knit together finally realizing it for what it was: A cage. A cage to hold a sinner betrayed by her friend.

Isaac sheathed the dagger and turned away. "We should go."

"But Isaac-"

"There's nothing here," he said. "We should move on."

"Isaac…" She followed her friend in silence knowing how hard this must be for him. Stella had already lost one parent and knew how it felt. Now Isaac was experiencing the same.

He put on a tough front for Stella but no matter what he did, he could not hide the truth. His mother was gone. Sheno was dead. All that was left was a rusty dagger scarred by time…

After a simple back track, they were once again at the cross roads.

"Now what?" Stella asked, unsure of what to do. When he didn't say anything she said, "I know! Right! Right? You know what they say! When you get lost put your right hand on the wall and keep walking!" Her smile quickly faded as her enthusiasm died. _Okaaay… Um… _"Isaac?"

"Mm?"

_Not good… _"You okay?" She scoffed. _Stupid question._

"Yeah…"

Stella sighed. _Aaaand he's gone. I swear when he gets like this I just want to kick him! _She stared at him intently. "Isaac!"

"…"

"Isaac Blake!"

"…"

"Dammit, say something!"

"We should go right."

"Gah!" Stella anime fell. "_Now_ you say that?"

"What's wrong with _you?_" he asked, slightly confused.

"_You!_" she yelled.

"Me?"

"You did that 'Stare into Space' thing again!"

"Oh…" he paused, "I did?"

"Yes…" she growled.

"Sorry, but I was thinking and-"

"I know that…" she said tiredly. "Can we just go now?"

"Sure thing."

She sighed and together they went right, down the path with blue roses. Unlike the previous trail, this one opened up into a wide glade. Blue roses grew abundantly here except for one spot which was covered with bright red roses…

"Wow! I've never seen so many flowers before!" exclaimed Stella.

Isaac was more serious saying, "Do you sense anything, Stella?"

"Hm?" She picked a flower and sniffed. _Nice… _"Nope, I cant sense anything."

"Damn…" _Another dead end?"_

"Hey, Isaac, why do you suppose only these flowers are red?" she asked, pointing at the roses.

"Do I look like a botanist to you?" he answered, slightly annoyed.

"I was just asking! Jeez…"

Isaac walked over to the red roses curiously. _Still… Why Are they the only ones red? Did someone plant them specifically? Or do they hold a deeper purpose?_

"Isaac…"

_Maybe it's a sign? A clue as to what happened here?_

"Isaac."

_I just wish I had some answers… Perhaps then I could-_

"Isaac!"

"What?"

She simply pointed ahead. Standing opposite them was the cat girl. She had a small smile on her face, tail swishing behind her. Isaac and Stella instantly went into a defensive stance.

"Hey there," she greeted.

"What do you want?"

She pouted, "Well that's rude. I come here, out of the goodness of my heart, to make sure you're okay and you yell at me. Some gentleman _you_ are…"

"Like you care how we feel," he replied.

"Why of course I care!" She gave a mock bow as she said, "You two are our special guests invited by the Queen herself! You should feel honored. Not many people get invited to Wonderland. Most simply wander in of their own free will… Of course, people like that often find themselves lost and are never seen again…" She thought a moment. "You know… You kind of remind me of someone just like that…"

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"I once knew a man who stumbled into Wonderland. Like you, he was looking for someone…"

"Isaac…do you think…?"

He nodded. "Its got to be…" _So Dad is here too. Was he looking for mom? _He frowned as a grim thought crossed his mind. _Did he run into Roy…?_

"But what he found," she continued. "was madness. Unable to find what he sought he died. Right where you're standing." She grinned as they took a step back, away from the flowers. "Lovely, aren't they? Don't you just love how the red accents the blue? A better piece of art you'll not find-"

"Shut up!" Isaac glared at her angrily. "Ive had enough of your sick jokes! Where is my father? Where is Jareth Blake?"

"I already told you. He's dead."

"Enough!" Isaac fired a chi blast at her which she simply dodged, laughing as she did so. "Dammit, hold still!"

"Isaac, stop it!" Stella put her hand on his shoulder, trying to calm him down. "This isn't going to solve anything."

"But-"

She shook her head and faced the cat. "What's your name?"

"Crystal."

She blinked. _Well That was easy… _"Crystal…why are you doing this? Why bring us here?"

"I'm simply fulfilling the wishes of this country's sovereign queen," she said. "As for why I'm doing this…" Crystal grinned, "Lets just say its necessary…"

"Necessary for what?" he asked.

"For the story to continue, what else?"

_Story? What story? _He looked at Stella who simply shrugged. "What are you talking about?"

"Haven't you ever wanted to just get away? To escape from the harshness of reality? To slip into a world that is your own, free to do as you please?"

Stella laughed. "Yeah right! The only place you could do that is in your dreams. No one can escape from reality."

Crystal remained silent, choosing to say nothing.

"Can they…?" she asked, unsure by her silence.

"Give it up, Stella. This cat is just messing with you." He glared at Crystal wanting nothing more than to hurt her right then and there but he had other things to worry about at the moment. "So you're telling me that my father is dead."

"Correct."

"Then prove it."

She grinned and snapped her fingers making a single head band appear before him. He took it, not believing what he was seeing.

"Still don't believe me?" she asked. "Then why don't you go ask the Queen? She can tell you more about that then I…" Crystal laughed once more before disappearing, leaving Isaac and Stella behind.

"That's Uncle Jareth's…"

He gripped it tightly, tears slowly forming. "I didn't want to believe it…when you said they might be dead… But now…"

"Isaac… I'm sorry, I…" She sniffed as tears of her own started falling down her cheeks. "Isaac, I'm so sorry." She hugged him, overcome with grief and sadness. She had lost an Uncle but he had lost a father. Something, she feared, she would lose also.

He hugged back, not wanting to see her cry. He had lost a lot on this journey. His mother…His father…And possibly his Uncle… But there was one thing he was determined not to lose. And that was her.

"Stella…?"

She sniffed, "Yeah…?"

"Lets go."

She looked up at him sadly, "Go where?"

He held up the card. "Step one: See what the hell this is about. Step two: Save your dad. Step three: Get the hell outta here." He grinned. "You game?"

She smiled at his renewed confidence. "Only if I can bash that cat's face in!"

"Sure thing. But I get her first."

"We'll take her on together!"

"It's a deal."

They backtracked to the crossroads and continued straight-ahead, passed the thick brambles, and into the vast field where a castle lay waiting.

"Hey Isaac… What do you think Crystal meant about making the story continue?"

"Don't tell me you're still thinking about that…" He shook his head. "She was probably just trying to confuse us."

"But it makes me wonder… Who's really in charge here?"

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"I don't think Crystal is the one pulling the strings. I think…there's someone else…"

"Like some head honcho…" He thought it over. "Its possible. We really don't know much about this 'Wonderland'. Maybe the Queen is in charge?"

"I don't think so…"

"In any case, we're about to find out…"

They fell silent as a guard opened the gate to the castle. The castle itself was like any other: Big, tall, fancy, and plenty of space. Once inside, another knight directed them to the Greeting Chamber. He closed the door, sealing them inside.

None of the knights spoke. They simply went on with their duty, oblivious to things that didn't concern them, almost as if they were inhuman.

Stella glanced at the door nervously. "Eh heh… Um, Isaac? I think we're locked in… Isaac?"

He didn't answer. He simply stared ahead at the figure seated on the throne, stunned.

"Isaac, what is-" She gasped.

Sitting on the throne, smiling at them, was Melanie.

Stella couldn't believe it. "_Mom?-!_"

She nodded in answer making Stella smile.

"It _is_ you!" She ran to her mother and embraced her in a warm hug. "I cant believe it!"

Isaac couldn't believe it either, but for another reason. Melanie Blake was dead. He was there at her funeral. Stella was too but she was probably too young to remember.

"Isaac! Come over here!" Stella waved happily, wanting to share the moment.

He walked over cautiously, not sure of what was going on. The girl on the throne looked exactly as he remembered her, not a day older.

"Aunt…Melanie…?"

"How many times have I told you to call me Mel?" she asked, teasing him.

_She certainly Acts like Aunt Mel but… _"How old are you?"

"Isaac!" Stella glared at him. "That's rude!"

Mel laughed. "I take it you're wondering about my appearance?"

He nodded.

"Long story short: When I became this country's queen I obtained eternal youth."

"Really?" Her daughter eyed her with new interest. "Amazing!"

Isaac was less amazed. "And how long do you get to keep that youth?"

"As long as I am Queen," she answered.

Stella kicked him. "What's wrong with you? Aren't you happy that mom is alive?"

"Yeah but…"

"But what?" she glared.

He remained silent. _Aunt Mel is dead. I know this but here she is. If what that cat girl said is true then… _"Why did you invite us here?" he asked.

"Being queen can be lonely sometimes…" she answered.

"What about dad?" asked Stella before Isaac could say anything. "Don't you get to see him?"

Melanie's expression turned vacant, almost sad. "No…but we have all the time in the world. I can see him whenever I want…"

Isaac stared at her questioningly. _That doesn't make sense… _He looked at Stella to see if she had caught the slip. She simply stared at her mother, lost in her little world of happiness. _I guess this one's up to me… _He brought out the head band and showed it to Melanie. "What do you have to say about this?"

Her expression barely changed as she said, "Oh… That belonged to _him_…"

_Him?_

"He wasn't invited so he slipped away. As is the fate of all those wanderers traveling aimlessly…" She smiled at them. "But you two are special. Stay here, with me, and you shall be forever young, free to do as you please forevermore!"

Stella's eyes widened. "Are you serious?"

She smiled. "Here is where dreams come true."

Isaac had a bad feeling and it was only getting worse. _I knew it. Regardless of who the head honcho is, Crystal is definitely in charge. Which means we're in serious trouble… _He started looking for a way out.

"Relax, will ya?" said Stella, totally oblivious.

_Relax? Doesn't she realize that none of this is real? I should have figured it out sooner… Why they attacked us… Why they didn't do anything… It was all an elaborate setup. And we played right into their hands…_

Melanie looked at him concerned. "Isaac?"

"Don't worry, Mom. He does this all the time, no biggie…"

_Stella. I have to convince her that this isn't real but… How? She's so rapped up in her mom that- _Then it hit him. _Her mom… _He looked up at Melanie, an idea forming. "You say you want us to stay here forever but I don't think that's what you really want."

"Isaac?"

"What do you mean?" she asked.

_Gotta be careful here… _"Wonderland… A place where dreams come true… But if that's right then why are my parents dead?"

"They are dead because that was the will of Wonderland. Besides, that manwhore had it coming…"

Stella couldn't believe she had said that. "But-"

"Well if that's how Wonderland works I'd rather _die_ than stay here forever!" he yelled.

Mel narrowed her eyes slightly. "That can be arranged…"

Stella looked between them confused. _What's going on? Isaac's acting like she's a threat… Mom's not a threat, is she?_

"What are you going to do?" he asked. "Force us to stay?"

"If I have to," she answered.

"Mom! How can you say that?-!"

She glanced at her daughter. "You'll soon learn that this world works differently than the one you know. Here, everything is dictated by the supreme law and it _must_ be obeyed."

"But-"

"People who disobey the supreme law will be punished. Do you intend to disobey, Stella?"

"I…"

_Not good… I think my plan is working a little Too well… _"Melanie, I don't know who you're working for but let us go. We don't belong here."

She stood up from her throne, "I don't think so."

With a simple snap of her fingers ten guards appeared and surrounded them, each with their weapon drawn.

"Mom, what are you doing?-!" she yelled, backing up.

"That's not your mother, Stella. Your mom died a long time ago."

"But-"

He faced her seriously, "This world is not real. We were tricked into coming here by that demon. We have to get out of here!"

Melanie laughed. "No one can leave Wonderland, and you are no exception! Get them!"

Isaac and Stella went on the defensive as the knights attacked. Using their combined techniques the knights were no match for them. The battle changed however as more knights started to appear.

"Damn…" Isaac fired an energy blast at one and backed up. "Stella, we have to get out of here!"

"But- _Fire Ball!_" She backed up as well, panting. "How?"

"We have to get back to the clearing! It's the only way we can leave!" He dodged as a knight charged him and countered with an attack of his own.

"Smart thinking, genius, but we have to get out of _here_ first!" She ducked a lance only to be sent flying by a kick.

"Stella!" He started running towards her but was blocked by more knights. _Dammit! At this rate we're done for. There's only one way out of this, _he glanced at Stella who was slowly getting up, _but I'd rather not take it… _He sighed as more knights started to appear. _I guess we have no choice… _"Stella!"

She shot a knight before yelling, "What?"

"You have to use that time thing!"

She looked at him worriedly, "But-"

"I know; it'll be fine. I wont leave you, promise."

She nodded. "Alright, but it takes time…"

"You got it!"

While Isaac distracted the guards, Stella worked on her spell. She closed her eyes, chanting.

"Ruler of space and time, Goddess of All, I beseech thee… Bestow upon me thy power over existence to put a stop to their motions…" Spell completed, she faced her opponents. "Terminate the Sinful, _Freeze!_"

Everything stopped. The knights froze in mid-step, their weapons poised to attack. The dagger that had been thrown at Isaac halted in midair, unmoving.

Isaac sighed and got out of the line of fire. "Phew…that was a close one…" He turned just in time to see Stella collapse. "Stella!" He ran to her and held her in his arms. "Stella, say something…"

She smiled at him weakly, "Sorry 'bout that… We should get out of here… It wont…last long…"

"Right."

Stella stood up only to collapse again, "Eh heh…oops…"

He looked at her concerned. "You used up too much energy again…"

"I'll be fine!"

He rolled his eyes and picked her up, "Come on…"

"Hey! Put me down! Put me down!"

He ignored her and carried her out of the castle. It wouldn't be long before the spell lost its effects and the knights came after them again. And since Stella had used up all her energy on her incantation, a second encounter would spell the end for them.

She looked up at him sheepishly, "Sorry about this…"

"Its not your fault," he said. "Its mine."

"But-"

"If I had not wanted to go on this journey so bad we wouldn't be in this mess."

"But, Isaac, there's no way you could have foreseen all this!"

"No, but I could have prevented it… We have to get back to that clearing and out of here before its too late…"

"Right…" She stared at the castle behind them sinking into the distance sadly. _Good bye…Mom…_

Once they reached the crossroads he stopped.

"What's the matter?" asked Stella concerned.

"You're…heavy…" he panted.

"Well _excuse_ me!" She pretended to be upset but really wasn't. "You okay?"

He nodded. "I'll be fine. What about you?"

She hopped out of his arms and stretched. "I should be fine now. Using that spell always wears me out…" She sighed. "That's what I get for only being half Ancient…"

"That's not your fault."

"I know… But its pretty lame sometimes…"

"So you're fine now?" he asked.

"Fit as a whistle! Or something…"

"Good. The clearing isn't too far away from here. We should be able to make it there before-"

He felt it before he heard it. A sharp pain followed by a loud bang. He slipped to one knee as he grasped his shoulder.

"Isaac!" Stella rushed to him. "What happened?"

"That's what _I'd_ like to know…" He flinched as he applied pressure to the wound to stop the bleeding. _Damn…who did that?_

Out from the darkness of the woods emerged Melanie. She held a smoldering gun in one hand and raised the second with the other.

Stella stepped in front of Isaac protectively. "Stop this!"

Melanie grinned, "I told you… No one can leave Wonderland. Not even you."

"Mom…"

"Its no use…" Isaac stood up and faced Melanie. "She's been tainted by the darkness of this world. The Melanie we knew is long gone." _Damn this isn't good… Stella's too weak to fight and I'm… Is this it?_

"Isaac, what are we going to do?"

"_'We'_ aren't going to do anything." He unsheathed his dagger. "I'll distract her while you get away."

"What? No way!" she protested.

"You're in no condition to fight!" he argued.

"And neither are you!" she countered.

"Dammit, Stella, just listen to me!" He faced her angrily. "You have to get out of here! Forget about me and run!"

"Isaac-"

"_Run, Dammit!_"

She took one last look at him before giving him a quick nod and leaving.

Isaac sighed._ Well that takes care of that… I just hope she makes it… _He turned to Melanie. _This wont be easy…_

"Ready to surrender?" she asked cockily.

"Like hell!"

"Then you better get ready to die!"

She fired another shot at him but he was ready this time. He held up his hand creating a barrier which deflected the bullet.

"Tch! So you know _that_ move, eh?" She grinned. "This'll be interesting…"

He took a step back. _Even taking away the fact I'm injured, I'm still at a disadvantage… Time to get serious… _Isaac faced Mel determinedly. "Lets see how good you _really_ are! _Darkness!_"

As soon as he said that they were enveloped in a cloud of darkness. Neither opponent could see each other but that didn't matter. All he needed was to buy time for his next attack.

Mel laughed. "This is it? This is all you got?"

"Talk while you can… _Disperse!_" The darkness faded as he finished his next attack. He directed his palms at Melanie, "_Chi Kun Cannon!_"

Her eyes widened. "No way…"

An immense burst of energy erupted from his palms headed straight for Melanie. She gasped as she was engulfed by the attack and disappeared, never to be seen again.

Isaac sighed and slipped to the ground, exhausted. _That used up more energy than I thought… _He forced himself to stand as he remembered Stella. "I have to…find her…"

Isaac was about to chase after her when he was impaled from behind by a gun blade. Its owner grinned as she removed it causing Isaac to fall to the ground.

The demon laughed as she stepped over him. "So sorry about this, but rules are rules. And the rules say no one can leave." She sighed. "A pity though… I was starting to like you…"

As he lay there dying, there was only one thing on his mind: Stella. Was she okay? Had she made it out of this twisted nightmare?

Before Crystal left she paused. "Oh, and if you're wondering about your little girlfriend, don't. She'll be joining you soon enough…"

Isaac closed his eyes, accepting his fate. _I should never have come here… Stella, I'm sorry…_

**X**

Stella ran. She wanted nothing more than to turn around and go help Isaac but she knew she would just be a burden.

"Isaac…" Her thoughts turned to her friend. _Is he okay? He looked like he was in a lot of pain… If I weren't so Useless I could have helped! Dammit…_

She came to a halt as she entered the clearing where it had all started. It was empty.

"Well now what? He told me to come here but he didn't tell me what to do when I did!" She jumped as she heard a huge explosion coming from the crossroads. "That was Isaac…" _If he used that move then… _"Maybe I should go back…?"

"You cant."

She turned around quickly. Standing behind her, lance drawn, was Roy.

"Dad…"

He had a sad expression on his face as he said, "You cant go back…"

"But why?" she cried. "He needs my help!"

"You cant help him anymore…"

Stella took a step back, "What do you mean?"

"Isn't it obvious?" asked a third person. Crystal came out of the woods, cleaning her weapon.

Stella saw the blood and gasped, "Isaac-"

"Is dead." Crystal smiled. "People seem to be doing that a lot lately…"

"You bitch!" She raised her gun to fire but stopped. _Regardless of what I do I cant win. I might as well- No! I cant give up! Isaac may still be alive. I have to help him. _She glared at Crystal, "What do you want? For real this time."

"I admit, when I was first created I wanted nothing more than to see this dream grow and expand. That way, I would continue to exist as well. But after awhile I grew bored…" She sighed. "This world isn't what it used to be… That's why I plan to end it and start a new world. But I cant do that with you around, can I? In order to destroy Wonderland, one must first destroy Alice…"

Stella gripped her weapon tightly. "Stay back!"

She grinned, "Oh you wont be fighting me… Your opponent will be someone far closer to home…"

Stella grit her teeth and faced her father. _I knew it would come to this… Dad…_

Roy raised his lance, ready to strike.

"Snap out of it! Cant you tell its me? Its me! Stella!"

Crystal laughed, "Don't bother. Your words can no longer reach him, I made sure of that."

_Crystal… She's the one pulling the strings here. Like Isaac always says: Kill the head honcho and the rest is easy. But he also says to kill the cannon fodder first Then kill the puppet master. Arg! What should I do?-!_

"Time to end this," the demon grinned. "Go."

Stella had no time to plan a strategy as Roy charged. She dodged as best she could but there was only so much she could do. Fatigue took over as he kept coming and eventually he landed a hit. Stella gasped in pain and doubled over only to get hit once more.

Crystal laughed as she hit the ground. "That all ya got? At least fight back… Boring…"

Stella lay on the ground spent. _What's the use? There's no way I can win… Even if I tried to fight he's my father, I cant… _She started to tear up as she gave in to despair. _Uncle Jareth is gone… Aunt Sheno is gone… Mom… Isaac…_

Roy stepped closer and stood over her, lance raised.

_Dad… I couldn't save you… _Stella closed her eyes as he brought down his lance. _I'm sorry…_**

* * *

Wow… Talk about Dark….jeez…**

**Till next Chap!**


	6. Chapter 6: The Dream Ends or does it?

**Okie dokie! Here's to the last chap! Enjoy!

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**

"Aaaaaaahhhhh!"

Crystal Version awoke abruptly. She had been having a nightmare. A nightmare about people she didn't know and of herself.

She wiped the sweat off her forehead. _Was I…a bad guy?_

Suddenly her door burst opened, scaring her.

"Aaaaahhhh! _Lightning!_"

"Ack!"

"'Ack'?" She looked up to see a very angry Raith glaring at her. "Eh heh… Oops…"

He twitched. "_'Oops'?-!_ You blast me with a lightning bolt and all you can say is _Oops?-!_"

"Well if you hadn't burst in here I wouldn't have used it!" she yelled.

"Well _excuse me_ for being concerned!" he yelled back.

She paused. "You were…concerned about me?"

Raith coughed. "Well yeah… I hear a random shout coming from your room of course I'd want to know what was going on."

"Oh. So you weren't concerned. You were curious."

"You say that like it's a bad thing," he said, slightly confused.

"Curiosity killed the cat."

"Look who's talking."

Crystal glared at him, "What do you want?"

"What were you yelling about?" he asked.

"Its none of your business."

"Whatever." He turned to leave.

"Hey! Why were you outside my door?"

He paused.

"Well?"

"Its none of your business." He left.

"Jerk!" She threw a pillow at the door which fell to the floor. "Stupid Ancient… I cant _stand_ him! One minute he's nice then he goes into pms mode…" _Still…there's something about him…_

She grinned. "Of course he's _nothing_ like the Ancient in my dream. Now _that's_ what I call a partner!"

She laid back down, thinking about her dream.

_Wonderland… What a strange place… And the characters were even stranger! First there was that ninja chick then the manwhore… Both betrayed by an Ancient, go figure, _she thought, thinking of Raith. _Course that Mel chick was confusing but the dream was the most confusing… Talk about WTF. Add the last two and you have a pretty good story._

She sat up and stared at her computer. "I know!" After turning it on, she went to one of her favorite websites.

"Heh, I could turn this into a story and be loved by all!" She paused. "Or whatever… Lets see… What to call it? I know! I'll call it-"

Suddenly her communicator went off. She groaned and picked it up. It was Raith.

"_What?-!_"

"Mission. Library. Now." He hung up.

She glared daggers at her communicator and slammed it shut. She grabbed her gun blade and stormed down the hall.

_Stupid, good for nothing, Jerky jerk of an Ancient!_

She threw open the library doors getting angry looks from the librarian who she ignored. Raith was standing near a book shelf waiting for her.

"What do you want?" she half whispered.

"We have another mission."

"We already had our mission for the day!" she complained.

"Well we received another one just now." he said, forcing calm.

"Well what is it?"

"We're to go to D5," he said.

"D5?" _But that's where Raith is from… _"Why?"

"There's been a disturbance in one of the major kingdoms. Cordite, I believe."

"And?"

He check his communicator and said, "Apparently, there have been a number of disappearances lately. People have reported seeing a strange demon before being transported to another world."

Crystal remained silent. _That's just like my dream! _"So…what does Command want us to do?"

"What else? Find and eliminate the demon. Ready?"

She gulped, "Sure, why not?"

"Good. Lets go."

End

_Who Shall be the Next Alice…?

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_

**Woot Woot! Its over! Um…**

**Thanx goes to Vocaloid (Kaito!), meh music (Demon Fang!), myself (…), and You! (cookies: Kratos' secret recipe!).**

**Now I can work on my Other side fic! -sweat drop-**

**See ya!**


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